Club news: 66% of Belgians bring children to school by car, reports Touring

Club news: 66% of Belgians bring children to school by car, reports Touring

23 August 2017

In Belgium, 7 parents out of 10 accompany their children every day to school. Of these, 66% use the car, often for distances of less than 3km. An additional 14% accompany their children on foot and 13% go by bike. Only 6.6% use public transport. These statistics were reported following an extensive survey of Touring Club Belgium (TCB). One of TCB’s conclusions from the survey was to call for an increase in the number of children on bicycles, as the distance from school to school is generally much shorter than work commutes. During rush hour, a quarter of cars on the road are trips to and from school. A reduction in the number of cars on the roads at these times would greatly reduce traffic jams.

The Touring survey of 6,361 Belgians shows that even under 3km distance, the car remains the preferred method of transportation. Walking and biking also scored relatively well, but when the distance exceeds 3km, 4 out of 5 children are driven to school.

The primary reason why the car is the preferred method even for short distances is speed. For longer distances, respondents said that there are too few alternatives for travel or that the car reduces stress.